Current Affair -1st January-2018

i. Nepal has banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mount Everest, in a bid to reduce accidents.

ii. The new safety regulations also prohibit double amputee and blind climbers from attempting to reach the summit of the world's highest peak without a valid medical certificate.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

Avtar Singh Cheema was the first Indian to climb Mount Everest successfully.

Mount Everest is the tallest Mountain (by Elevation) in the world.

2. Israel Withdraws from UNESCO

i. Israel has filed notice to withdraw from the UNESCO alongside the United States. Israel has blasted UNESCO in recent years over the organisation's criticism of Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem and its decision to grant full membership to Palestine in 2011.

ii. Israel was the member of UNESCO since 1949. Both Israel and the US have filed its own withdrawal notice in October 2017.

i. Arunachal Pradesh has been declared open defecation free ahead of the national deadline of October 2, 2019. The milestone was achieved after the state announced an incentive of Rs 8,000 in addition to the Rs 12,000-grant provided by the Centre for building toilets.

ii. Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Haryana were declared open defecation free states in October 2017.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

Arunachal Pradesh CM- Pema Khandu, Governor- Brigadier BD Mishra.

4. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe Named ICCR Chief

i. National vice-president of the BJP, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, who is also the member of Rajya Sabha has been appointed the President of Indian Council of Cultural Relations.

ii. He will replace Lokesh Chandra, who had been appointed by the NDA government in October 2014 and has completed his three-year-term.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

Maulana Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed was the founder of ICCR.

Riva Ganguly Das is the Director General of ICCR.

5. Vidarbha Defeats Delhi to win Ranji Trophy for the First Time

i. Vidarbha have created history by winning the Ranji Trophy for the first time in history with a thumping nine-wicket win over Delhi at the Holkar stadium in Indore.

ii. Rajneesh Gurbani’s 6/59, including a hat-trick and a century from Akshay Wadkar were the key moments in Vidarbha scripting a fairytale run. For Delhi, Dhruv Shorey was the star with a century.